Who is right, me or my sister in law?

Question

My son and nephew will start school this September. On the induction day all parents were told that there was a child with a nut allergy in their class and that thery were not allowed to take anything with nuts in in their lunch box or wear sunscrean or any moisturising lotion as they have nut oil in them. Personally I completely understand the bit about foods but as for the sun screan, come on!! My sister in law says that i would expect others to do this if it was my son and i do agree but if i think he needs sunscrean, then i'm going to put it on him. After all, does this parent not take her child to supermarkets and other places in the risk of her touching people wearing sunscrean? Do all of our children have to burn in the sun just because of hers?

Answer 1

Do you not realise that that child could DIE if you put sun cream with nut stuff in it on your son or even if you have the slightest smell or wrapper with you?

Be considerate, your sister in law is right, you would want it for your son.

Answer 2

If it was asked of the parents not to use sunscreen with nuts in it, then the child in question obviously has a SEVERE allergy to nuts.  Some kids just can't eat them.  Some kids can't be around them at all.  Think of it this way.  If your kid goes to school wearing sunscreen that will cause his classmate to have an allergic reaction, that's time taken away from instruction (for everyone, including your son) to deal with the problem.  Plus, it can be life-threatening.  Would you really want your son to go through the inevitable guilt of causing medical problems for a classmate?  

Here's the great news- with a simple Yahoo search ("sunscreen without nut oil"), I was able to find a sunscreen that can protect both your son's skin AND his classmate's allergy to nuts.  It's expensive, but I'm sure you could find cheaper brands in other baby stores (since babies have sensitivities).  Personally, it would be worth it to me to pay a little extra to ensure that I wasn't intentionally causing harm to another child.

Answer 3

I think some people go a little overboard. If the kid is THAT allergic, then maybe he should not be going to public school

Answer 4

There is some sun screens that comes in non nut oil bases.

California Baby spf 30+ is sold by online retailers: babycenter store and California baby website.

Arbonne baby care sunscreen.  From Arbonne.com is another one he can use that doesn't have nut oil.

Nut allergies can be deadly or seriously ill. I had a child when I was a supervision aid for an  after school daycare who was allergic to nuts. Her allergies was mostly eating.  

There is children who get so sever, they can not be near anything nutty no matter what.

So of course this child's parents want the safest environment just as you want the same thing for your child.

Ask your child's pediatrician for any spf and other recommendations to accommodate for this other child's allergies, yet keep your child safe too.

Answer 5

that's a terrible rule, freedom of choice, do what you want, if your kid suffered because of the tiny chance that it may harm another kid you would protect your own

Answer 6

I think the number of sunscreens with nut oil in them are very very small. I think tanning lotions might have nut oil, but not sunscreen.

If this child is just starting school then he is pretty young. Young kids do all kinds of dumb things and they probably have a sink in the classroom and wash hands alot. The chances of one kids washing up and splashing other kids is pretty high---unlike a second grade classroom.

If the child has life-threatening allergies then I say cut them some slack. A young child in a classroom actually comes into physical contact with the other kids---unlike in a shopping mall. Little kids grab and push each other over blocks, hold hands during songs, hug each other in reading circle---there is more physical contact than you would think. If this relieves the parent's stress, then why not do what you can???

I would look at the sunscreens in my cabinet before getting angry because it may be a non issue. Out of curiosity I just read the back of the  50spf sunscreen we used today---no nut oils.

Answer 7

Put the sunscreen on your son before he leaves for school and leave it at that.  My 11 year old is allergic to nuts and she still uses certain sunscreens and the other kids use whatever i grab for them.  First off this child should not be grabbing or touching another child and second the mothe needs to understand that sun can lead to skin cancer and just as she wishes to protect her child you want to protect yours.  In the years my daughter has been in school we have never asked that what the other kids bring in their lunch be limited however we have made it clear on the holiday parties to watch what treats are brought for the entire class.  If a kid in my daughters class only wants to eat pb&j I expect that child to be able to eat it.  I have taught my daughter what she can and cant eat and will not punish another child by taking it away from them.  Either this mom is selfish or the school is going way overboard.

Answer 8

People like that are selfish but need to chill out to  a degree because the child will feel isolated later in life.

Answer 9

i work in a nursery and the other childrens suncream, does not affect the nut allergy suffer, if you put it on before school, it would be well soaked in anyway, i think this is a bit extreme.

Answer 10

Sun screen? Come on! How much time are they gonna leave your child outside? Why not look into a different type of sunscrean (they don't sell any with nut oil in them where I live...strange.) and try to help the kid out? He sounds like he's gonna have enough trouble as it is!

Answer 11

That is a bit ridiculous. The food is understandable, but really. I mean, as you said, does the kid not go anywhere because someone might be wearing sunscreen or lotion?

Hopefully though, your child won't be out in the sun long enough for a burn.

Answer 12

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp144575_33282...

There are sunscreens that don't contain any nut oils, gluten, whey, etc....but they are pricey.

I would talk to your pharmacist locally and ask what might be available that isn't so expensive.

I would ask that your child be place in another room, so as not to expose him to the dangers of cancer from overexposure from sun damage.  

Nut allergies can be lethal.  Allergic reaction to nuts can progress rapidly to anaphylaxis. Peanut allergy is responsible for more fatalities than any other type of allergy, so understandably scary for mum.

HOWEVER......suncreen on the other children should NOT affect the child with the nut allergy.  AND, medication to arrest an attack should always be at that child's disposal immediately.

The allergies are set off generally by food and airborn partices of nuts, neither of which suncreen is a part of.  

Put sunscreen on your child, and make sure the other child doesn't "l**k" it off of him.....smiling

Answer 13

you are definately right.  the teacher cant make those kind of rules. your son and his class mates can eat and wear what they want.  the kid that is allergic will not have a reaction unless he eats something containing peanut.

Answer 14

First of all, it's sunscreEn, not sunscreAn.

Secondly, I think that there are probably sunscreens without nut oil in them. Do a little research if you want to put sunscreen on your child before school. Doing that is a good habit to be in, but you shouldn't endanger someone else's life because of it.

Answer 15

The problem with severe nut allergy is that it is not just a fad, it can and does kill, unlike some of the 'fashionable' allergies. The sufferer only has to be near any traces of nut for the tissues in the mouth, nose and throat to swell up and then they can't breathe. So, it is reasonable to ask parents to be careful, but if the school researched this they would be able to find safe, mineral based sunscreens which would keep everybody happy. As to the question 'what about in supermarkets..' unfortunately this can be enough to trigger severe symptoms, which is why many sufferers cannot go in there, and those that do always have to have adrenalin pens handy. Obviously, if the school let the other children 'burn in the sun', they would be negligent.

Answer 16

I think it's stupid they can't even bring peanut butter/peanuts! If he/she knows their allergic - then they don't eat it! I can understand taking it out of the cafeteria, but telling the children they can't bring their own peanut-butter or wear sunscreen is ridacoulous. Do it anyways! Plus, what's that kid gonna do when he gets into the real world??? Tell his boss that he can't bring in PB&J's - I don't think so!

Answer 17

ya just gotta put yourself in that parents shoe's.  maybe you can look online for a sunscreen with an alternative to nut oil in it.  Shouldn't be too difficult to find.  But yeah it does seem a bit much.

Answer 18

Well I have a bottle of spray on solero childrens sunscreen and it has no nut oil in it.

So perhaps you should have a look on the back of sunscreen, and check what ingrediants are in it.

Please do not put another child at risk because you are too selfish, mean and lazy to look around for a nut free sun lotion.

You sound like a really selfish person to me. I hope to god your son never developes a allergy to peanuts or something else. Because you cannot expect people to run round after your child making him safe when you cannot be bothered to do the same for someone else's child. Utter SELFISHNESS!

Please talk to the teacher again. She may be able to tell you more and could have a list of suncreams that are OK to use

Answer 19

sun screen is going a bit far. I have never heard that one before. Talk to a pharmasist on what sunscreen had nut oil in it (I have never heard that it contains it but I am in Australia so our sunscreen is probably different) and which one does not and buy that one. Children need sunscreen. Perhaps ask the mother what sunscreen she uses on her child and buy that one. There has to be one you can use.

I would ignore the person above who obviously does not realise that for some kids the smell of peanuts can send them into anaphalxis or even if the child who eats a peanut butter sandwich touches a book or pencil and the allergic child then touches it then he may die. A 5 year old childs life is at stake.

Answer 20

I think the sunscreen is probably a little extreme but maybe not.  Maybe this child's allergy is that this child should be home schooled.    He or she has as much right to an education as yours does.  I think you need to be a little more reasonable.  The school is asking that you not bring anything that contains nut`extremely bad.

Maybe he doesn't go to the grocery store you never know.

There are other answers who are stating this child should be home schooled.  This child has as much right to an education as yours does.  Be reasonable.  The school asked that you not bring anything with peanut oil not to drain your child's blood.

P.S.  Is your child's school outside???  How much sunscreen is needed on one little boys face for 30 minutes of recess.  Enough that you are willing to put a little child's life in jeopardy?

Please make a good decision

Answer 21

this child has just as much right to the public school system as you do and in doing so they MUST accomadate this child under gov. law and IDEA.

at our work they are now removing all things in the vending machines that contain peunut because if someone ate it then breathed on a child with a peanut allergy and the child broke out then the school would be in trouble for not taking neccessary precuation when this could have been preventable.

sounds like you are making too big of a deal out of a small change. you dont know this child and this childs history and what the parents have been through and really how do you think they found out about his allergy to begin with.

get to know the family and be respectful of what the teacher asks. so you have to change sunscreens, what about when your child gets into older elementary and you hear all about what is required for him pass the CRCT in the third grade, you will wish you were back to dealing with changing little things like this

Answer 22

I think not taking peanut containing foods is good enough. I don't think that you can't put lotions or sunscreen on your child because of that kids allergy.  If that kid is THAT allergic to peanuts then maybe that kid should be homeschooled... or live in a bubble.  What about the in the cafeteria where other kids NOT in the class have PB&J sandwiches... I think it's a tad overboard if you ask me.

Answer 23

I'm with you on that one

Answer 24

I think there was a misunderstanding here.   Although sunscreen does not have nuts in it, there are children who are allergic and can go into anaphalactic schock if they even come close to someone wearing it.  Kids do tend to touch each other, and to leave sunscreen on playground equipment.

Therefore, this is not an issue of who is right.  This is an issue of protecting kids - your and the child with allergies.

Talk with the teacher again, and do some research.

All the best.

Answer 25

Sorry, I agree with your sister-in-law on this one. I can almost guarantee that if it was your child who had a severe allergy, you would want/expect every precaution to be taken. I don't think it's too much to ask as children's lives are at stake. There are plenty of sunscreens available without nut oils, so use one of those if you must. Food allergies can be a VERY serious thing and are not to be trifled with! And as for the parents of the kids with allergies, if their children are deathly allergic, than you can bet your bottom dollar that they do everything they can to ensure their child's safety.

Answer 26

I agree with you

xx

Answer 27

my son goes to school with a kid that has nut allergies and i have never heard of this.  also my other son has a lot of other allergies and was told to stay away from nuts but i was never told by the allergist anything about sunscreen

Answer 28

I don't think thats fair either. I'm with you! :) Right now, there are so many  cases of skin cancer in the US, that doctors are trying to get kids and everyone to wear sunscreen. So, i think you should still put sunscreen on your child because otherwise he will get into the habit of not wearing it, and possibly develop skin cancer later in life. I think that child shouldn't be going to a public school if he is that allergic as to put other children in danger!!!!!

Answer 29

Wow. I saw slather on that sunscreen, s***w the peanut kid! As long as you aren't making your kid wear a suit with peanuts stitched to the outside of it, I think that teacher is being retarded.